Traditionally, waxes and other floor maintenance liquids have been applied by dipping a sponge or string mop in a bucket of liquid, wringing out the mop using a wringer connected to the side of the bucket, and then moving the mop back and forth across the floor. After the mop dispensed some of its retained liquid or became dirty, it was again dipped into the bucket of liquid. This method had three major disadvantages. First, it was difficult to obtain an even distribution of floor maintenance liquid because the wetness of the mop varied with the extent of wringing out and with the amount of time lapsed since the mop had been last dipped into the bucket. Second, the liquid in the bucket was repeatedly exposed to dirt from the mop and had to be discharged and replaced frequently. Finally, the mop itself had to be cleaned frequently in order to obtain and maintain clean floors.
When the desired operation involves scrubbing, the foregoing problems have been solved to some extent by providing brushes having a plurality of substantially evenly spaced openings in the brush head through which liquid may be supplied in a substantially uniform fashion. The liquid is supplied in a continuous fashion from a reservoir or other source which is connected to the head or handle of the brush. Examples of such brush designs are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,347, U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,840, U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,353, and U.S. Pat. No. 1,091,888.
Efforts have also been made to supply sponge mops continuously and evenly with waxes or other liquids by providing a plenum or sponge head having a plurality of substantially evenly spaced openings which feed fluid into the sponge. Examples of such sponge devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. 4,119,386, U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,353, U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,744, U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,591, U.S. Pat. No. 3,258,809, U.S. Pat. No. 3,099,035, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,601,689.
The primary disadvantage of the foregoing brush and sponge devices is that the substantially evenly spaced openings become clogged with dirt or other residue, thereby preventing an even distribution of wax or cleaning fluid from occurring. Cleaning of these openings and of the entire mop head requires much time and inconvenience and often requires disassembly of the mop head. The mop head must be cleaned not only when the fluid feed openings become clogged but also whenever the mop assembly is to be stored between uses and whenever different fluids are to be applied using the mop assembly. Furthermore, many of these devices utilize mop heads which are complex, heavy and cumbersome due to the location of the fluid reservoir inside or above the mop head. These mop heads are difficult to maneuver into narrow spaces and corners.